Summer Term Work

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Policy

Certain courses taken during the Summer Term at Boston University may be credited toward the master’s and PhD degrees if prior approval is obtained from the candidate’s major department. The number of credits that can be earned in one session is limited to six. Graduate School of Arts & Sciences students who do not wish to enroll for courses but wish to complete a departmental requirement such as a language, comprehensive, qualifying, or dissertation examination or to use the University facilities must register as continuing students for one Summer Term and pay the Continuing Student Fee.

Students in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences who are engaged during the summer in full-time research as an essential component of their graduate degree programs are eligible for Summer Research registration status. This is a no-cost mechanism whereby graduate students who are engaged in academic research during the summer can be appropriately registered as students for purposes of loan eligibility and tax considerations. Students seeking Summer Research status should complete Summer Research Status Registration Form, obtain appropriate signatures, and submit the forms to their departments for forwarding to the Graduate School Records Office. This registration will not generate a tuition charge. The form includes a certification of full-time study that will document the student’s commitment to research during the summer. By signing the forms, the department vouches that the students will be doing research full time for the 12 weeks of the Summer I and Summer II terms. GRS will enter the registration on the students’ records. Forms should be submitted before the beginning of the Summer II term. The form is available from the GRS website. Summer Research status is available only for students continuing their studies in the fall. This status does not satisfy the mandatory registration for the final two semesters during which degree requirements are completed.